Collapsible egg carrier



F. GUSZMA-NN 46,025 COLLAPSIBLE EGG CARRIER Filed April 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l F. GUSZMANN COLLAPSIBLE EGG CARRIER April 4, 1944.

Filed April 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 wan tom rancisco Gus zmann Patented Apr. 4, 1944 TES OFFICE Application April 23, 1941, Serial No. 389,992 In Argentina April 30, 1940 1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in collapsible egg carriers or boxes, which involve a better use of the space of said carriers with a considerable reduction in volume. Also, said improvements reside in the angular mounting of the outer bands and cross-pieces which, assembled, constitute the carrier used in packing eggs for transportation or storage.

An object of the invention is to provide an egg carrier or box wherein in each tray, two of the outer bands or strips forming an angle or corner, are arranged or located one half of the dimension of the egg compartments closer to the center of the circumferential cuts, than the remaining or opposite two of the same tray.

A further object of the invention is to provide an egg carrier or box which will reduce the volume required heretofore to pack a given number of eggs, with the consequent saving in freight, storage, transportation and manufacturing costs.

The superposition of the trays is carried out in such a manner that the narrow zone of a tray has a normal upper and lower peripherical zone, and vice-versa.

A further feature of the invention resides in the engagement of the crossed collapsible strips or hands provided with end tongues, with the outer or peripherical bands, in such a manner that they are inserted in corresponding slots, wherein the length of the latter is equal to the sum of the throat or cut of the insertion strip, plus the length of the smaller wing of the T-tongue. The self-removal thereof is obtained by means of the alternately inverted arrangement of the successive tongues of the remaining cross-pieces crossing same, together with the angular arrangement of the peripherical bands. Due to the fact that no staples, adhesives or other usual attaching means are used, the arrangement of the present invention provides for the simple mounting and collapse of the egg carrier, by means of a novel arrangement of cuts, tongues, slots and punches made in the bands forming the corners.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practice, same has been illustrated by way of example and in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of three superposed egg trays, clearly showing the construction, arrangement relative to each other and details of the joining of the corners and cross-pieces.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the superposed cornpartments.

Figure 3 is a detail of a corner attachment or coupling.

Figure l is a detailed view of the end of an outer band or strip.

Figure 5 is a detailed view of the companion band to that shown in Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a detailed View of the connection of the cross-pieces to the outer bands, and the complementary arrangement of the cross-pieces relative to each other.

Figure 7 is a detail of the end and cuts distributed along the cross-pieces.

The same reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts or elements throughout the different figures.

Referring to the drawings, the trays are constituted by the peripherical bands or strips I having' slots 2 the length of which is equal to the throat t of the cross-piece 5 plus the length of the smaller wing 6 of the T-tongue l. The ends or connecting corners of the strips I are punched as shown at 8, leaving a tongue 9 which is inserted in a slot lil in the end of the concurrent strip which is also provided with cuts H and I2 wherein are inserted the'zones l3 and M of the corresponding end, as shown in Figure 3.

The cross-pieces 5 are provided with cuts I5 and l 6 arranged in an alternately inverted order.

In order to pack the eggs alternately to each other, relative to two superposed trays, and in order to enable the same number of eggs to be packed in each row, said trays carry marginal zones 18 and E9 in two of the faces thereof forming an angle, narrowed in such a manner that the dimension thereof is one half smaller than the width of the normal egg compartments, said narrow zone having a normal upper and lower zone, and so on until the container or carrier is completed by superposition of trays.

The cross-pieces 5 also carry notches, semicircumferential in shape, indicated at IT, serving as a support for the ends of the eggs.

The trays are mounted as shown in the drawings, and can be readily taken apart or collapsed.

What is claimed is:

A collapsible egg carrier comprising interior interlocking strips having inwardly-extending slots arranged alternately on opposite edges and spaced relatively to each other to the extent of a ful1-sized egg compartment, said strips having U-shaped cuts at their crossing points for receiving eggs, projecting ends on said strips, end strips having slots therein for receiving said projecting ends, said end strips and said interlocking strips forming full-sized egg compartments and two of said end strips forming a corner being located closer to the adjacent interlocking strips to form approximately half-sized egg compartments which are located alternately on opposite sides in superposed carriers, said end strips each having at one end an interior semi-circular slot with a projection and at the other end spaced slots including a central slot which is in alignment with said projection so that a semi-circularly slotted end of an adjacent end strip may be interlocked by said projection entering the central slot of the other, the portions of the said other end strip adjacent said semi-circular slot being in alignment with and received in the remaining spaced slots.

FRANCISCO GUSZMANN. 

